Core Ruleset

by Timothy Bryan

Otherworldly killings surround an aging role-playing gamer, and a clever detective must decide how far she is willing to go to stop the inhuman violence.

Audible Audio

Published March 16, 2023

Reviews

[Icy_Space_Cobwebs · Rating 5 out of 5]

First off, let me start at the end, and shout THAT ENDING!!! THAT ENDING!!!
[NO! Do not turn immediately to the end to see what I mean!!]
On the surface, CORE RULESET is a novel about a downtrodden "David" vs. a multitude of unstoppable "Goliaths," from overbuilt bullies, to snooty self-centered, to the "Big Billionaires" whose octopus corporations seem to control the economy. Author Timothy Bryan elicited my empathy for this "feckless hero," whose life seems doomed to rejection and repulsion at every turn, the "guy who just can't get a break."
Next level is a story of Supernatural Villainy vs. Police Procedural, as individual after individual--some connected, most disparate--are struck down in unlikely but unstoppable ways, ensuring not only their imminent demise but also their punishment.
Third level: what you think is happening is just the facade. Life-changing AND life-ending: but HOW? and WHY? and WHOM?

The classic confrontational Denouement of Law vs. Villain is startling and amazing, then Anticlimax, then THAT ENDING!!
5 Stars for Implacability!!!

[Holly Hinkel · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an ARC review. At first I was apprehensive about the writing style of this author. This is my first time reading this author and the first few chapters seemed like they were written in a way that was not easy to follow but once the main characters were introduced it got a lot more interesting and was hard to put down. They left it open for a sequel potentially and I have to say I would love to see another story in this same vein hence the 4 stars.

[Bia Voinea · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great story . I especially liked the writing. The way every character is described makes it really easy to see in "the minds eye". And I honestly can't wait to see what happens next.

[Aparna J · Rating 5 out of 5]

Core Ruleset ( ARC)

Core Rule Set by Author Timothy Bryan is an exciting, creepy, spine chilling horror thriller. I had goosebumps while I kept reading and found it highly irresistible to take my eyes off. The concept of role playing games makes it even more scary and spine chilling.

Wow! Elk Grove, a city in Sacramento, is suddenly the target of a sinister cold blooded murderer. Reginald Darby, the CEO of Benelux Capital is the first victim. But will the thirst for blood and revenge end here?

Terry Brandt enjoys playing role-playing games as a way to kill time while competing against fictional foes using magic and monsters. He has a depressing, dead-end career, lives with his father, and leads an essentially meaningless romantic life.
Those who offended Terry end up dying rather mysteriously with no clues or physical evidence that could be linked to him.
As the bodies pile up, Dani and Hideo have to stop the cruel murderer who seems to be more like an other worldly entity rather than a crazed psychopath. And the climax is sooo good that I didn't expect it coming. It's fantastic.
This is one of the most exciting reads that I would certainly recommend to those who love horror cum supernatural thriller.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Cat B. · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 STARS
I took this one on as I thought the premise was interesting. I found it a pretty good read. The descriptions of the game characters made them very easy to visualize. I was pleased that there was a zombie one, love me some zombies. Easily read, nice flowing text. One thing that really bothered me though was the female officer. Without any real proof of anything, she went about doing her best to destroy the protagonist to draw him out. Did not like that... but I certainly enjoyed the story.
I received a complimentary copy of this book and this is my honest and unbiased opinion of the tale.

[Cass Morrison · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have never played an RPG but I thought the idea of the book was interesting so, after reading a sample. I requested a review copy. What really stood out was the deliberately(?) turgid writing style. While I'm used to characters being stereotypes, it wasn't until I realized the main protagonists were caricatures that I could start to focus more on the story.

The story was well executed. There were vignettes tying everything together with no plot gaps. The ending is open-ended but not really conducive to a sequel. If you like urban mysteries, horror, or RPG stories you could enjoy this.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Trinity Waddell · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was fortunate enough to be given an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
I was drawn in from the first page. It was descriptive and easy to visualise. The characters throughout were interesting and the concept of the story was extremely clever.
Dani and Hideo are a very cool team and I would like to see them work together in the future. I loved how Dani thought outside the box.
I read this book over 12 hours. It was exciting, thrilling, different and a unique concept. If you enjoy a read with a few thrills and chills but a darn good mystery then this is for you!

[Tamara · Rating 5 out of 5]

OK I was sent this to read and omg I love it. The way the characters come to life. The horror the redemption totally amazing story. Terry is a great evil genius.

[Christina Frøkjær · Rating 4 out of 5]

Once again, a great read from Bryan.
I'm just a bit too young for the DnD rage back in the 80'ties, but I love fantasy and horror, and Bryan's writing tickles my brain just the right way.

Don't let this book fool you, it is well-written and checks all the pointers for the genre.

As always, I will advise you to read the book's description before reading, because there might be triggers in the book and although this is a beautiful book, your mental health is more important.

[Janalyn, the blind reviewer · Rating 5 out of 5]

OMG what a great book!

Timothy Bryan is the kind of author you wish you would’ve found 50 books in. I wait so patiently for his next book and it came out today and OMG it seems he just gets better and better! Terry is a RPG gamer and the game master I don’t fortunately he’s also a nerd and geek who has very little happiness in his life until recently when he met Emma. Also unfortunate for Terry as it seems people he’s connected to keeps dying and although they catch the perpetrators on camera these killers are unlike any the police have ever seen. They all seem to be killers summoned from the games he likes to play but how is he doing it? This is a question detective Danny and her partner Jando want to answer but can they do it before more people are killed in the peace killing people from 10 years ago you know certainly that Danny in a Jando is on his list of people who crossed him they’ve gotten his girlfriend break up with him they keep harassing his clients but can they stop him? Like always this book by Timothy Bryant is so good I love how he takes modern situations and ads ancient deities all monsters and now lit or PG characters as murderers if you love great horror then you’ll love this book by Timothy Brian and I certainly did and can’t wait for the next one. Please forgive any mistakes as I am blind and dictate my review.

[Katy The Sleepy Reader · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have read all of the books Timothy Bryan has written and have enjoyed all of them and this one is no exception. The author requested that I read and review this book and I was not only happy to do it, but I was also excited to read another one of his books.

This particular book was of interest to me, as my husband is a Dungeon Master and has been for years. So, RPGs have been a big part of our family. I also play RPGs myself, but in video game form.

Core Ruleset is a creepy, eerie, and downright thrilling book. The story takes place in Elk Grove where the small city of suddenly inundated with several cold-blooded murders. The main character is Terry Brandt. He works as a security guard for his day job but moonlights as a DM for some very rich locals. His personal life is very depressing. His job is boring and going nowhere and he lives with his abusive father and has no relationship prospects. There are two other main characters, Dani and Hideo, detectives investigating the strange number of weird murders plaguing the area.
Can they figure out who the murder is and stop them before they become victims themselves?

I don't want to say much more as I don't want to give any spoilers. There is a twist near the end that I never saw coming. I love the premise of the book. The characters are well written and the details surrounding the role-playing were spot on. Either the author is a D&D player, or he did some deep research. The story was descriptive, and I could easily visualize the events that took place. Overall, this is another great book from this author. If you love a good horror thriller, then this book is for you.

[Tina Lincoln · Rating 5 out of 5]

Busy book that makes one question whether they are in reality or not!
I loved this story! It had me on my toes, as I am not a gamer, but I love reading new genres and styles, and this one has broken in yet a new one, even for Mr. Bryan! When the one doing the tracking down is a female, instead of a male, I think that really gets to many, also. So, will there be a follow-up to this story???
Thank you, Timothy Bryan for another Great Story that keeps you up late!

[Jacquetta Harvey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow!! Not expecting that ending but being intrigued the deeper I got into the book. Understanding David and his shy, fearful, nerd self. (I do not use the word nerd as a put down) Then Emma and hoping they would actually begin a relationship. I understood David's frustration with his self, his father, his ability to play the game he lived for.
I never expected that ending, in fact I turned back three chapters to make sure I had not read into it wrong. I will say Wow! I hope there is another book to follow but if not, it still was a great book to read.

[Alisha Goldstein · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received a complimentary copy of the book and am giving my honest review. It's a different kind of murder mystery that has a mix of D&D fantasy. At first as each character's perspective was introduced the connection between them wasn't clear, but the progression of the story as well as the reveal makes everything make sense.

[Catherine Sewell · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found this book to be very interesting. The story starts out very quickly with an example of the horrors to come. After that, the book dragged on a little for about the first quarter, but then pickup again quickly. I would definitely recommend this book for any horror fan.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Robert Foland · Rating 5 out of 5]

Core Ruleset takes the reader on an incredible journey of mystery, magic and intrigue. As the body count rises your interest increases. What exactly is going on and how are these murders being committed? Is there a role-playing game (RPG) killer on the loose? Timothy Bryan delivers a well-crafted mystery which draws you in and keeps your attention to the very end.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Brett · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed the book's concept, and having some exposure to RPG, I felt this would be a fun read. The story was successfully executed. The character development was fantastic and made the mental picture astonishing. I only wish more time was dedicated to developing the investigative aspect. The detectives in the story came to conclusions with minimal supportive effort, making the story feel rushed. The ending is open but in a good way adding to the horror. If you like fantasy thrillers, horror, or RPG stories, you could enjoy this.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Michael Hunt · Rating 4 out of 5]

This a great book. I enjoyed reading it. The plot is good and keeps youcengaged throughout. The characters are well described, maybe a little too well. Overall I would recommend this book.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Buttercupp77 · Rating 4 out of 5]

A series of grisly and seemingly impossible murders plagues the city. Two detectives hunt for the killers. A lonely, down-trodden man seeks escape in his role playing games.

I thought this was a very interesting idea, and, while a lot went really well in this novel, but a couple of choices on the part of the author hindered my ability to really immerse myself in the story.

The pacing was good overall. I did find that the ending snuck up on me - it didn't really feel like the story was quite there to me, but must admit that this is not an altogether unusual experience (running out of book before I think the story is ready to end) for me to have.

I'm not sure what genre this novel is trying to be. The perspective doesn't really fit for a police procedural (although this is the genre I felt it was closest to), but it doesn't really succeed as an urban fantasy novel either. I'm all for genre busting, don't get me wrong! But the genre really does help the reader frame the novel, and I spent a lot of my reading time just trying to figure out what parameters I ought to apply to the novel, which did prevent me from immersing myself in the story. This is very much related to the following point I would make.

The other element that really impacted my enjoyment was that there are SO many characters in play and I'm still not really sure who the main character is. A large cast isn't inherently a bad thing, but the choice to give all them their own chapters resulted in most of them being underdeveloped, and prevented me from connecting with them. The advantage to this was that I didn't see some events coming (which was refreshing), but it also left me not really caring about the characters either, which took the wind out of any twist's sails.

It's an interesting read, but not one that I connected with. I don't think I would continue to read further in this universe.

I received an ARC via BookSirens.

[Darcy · Rating 2 out of 5]

The description for this book grabbed my attention. I love reading fantasy, horror, and thriller stories. I was also intrigued by the roleplaying aspect because I am a forever DM and love playing D&D with my friends. I thought it was a good fit for me, so I requested an eARC on BookSirens.

Unfortunately, this book did not meet my expectations. I know other readers enjoyed it, but it wasn’t a good match for me after all.

The author does a good job of describing the setting and characters so you can picture them. I found the descriptions went on a tad too long in many cases, which causes the story to drag. More focus on the action and less focus on the background setting may have helped.

It takes too long for the main character to be introduced. Once I got to that, I became concerned. The main character is a walking stereotype. Using the fat, loser, nerd harmful stereotypes are not clever and so boring. Every person in the comic book store was described using these stereotypes. There was fatphobic stuff weaved in throughout the entire book.

The detectives had such a thin, flimsy connection between Terry and the murders. Despite zero evidence or even obvious connections with all the victims, the detectives somehow were convinced it was him and went after him hard. It didn’t make sense to me.

I didn’t find any of the characters likable. I didn’t find myself caring about what happened to any of them. The main character was a terrible person and I couldn’t empathize with him. When I read horror thrillers, I expect to be on the edge of my seat. A real page turner. Unfortunately, everything was too predictable. There wasn’t any mystery, shocking twists or big reveals.

For a book that is supposed to have D&D as a central theme (based on the title and blurb), it lacked D&D. There are a few references to it (that aren’t very accurate either), but it was severely underutilized.

The plot had potential and I wish it could have been fleshed out more.

[Cathy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received a copy of this book from the author. I had the opportunity to review or not.

Two detectives are on the trail of a mysterious killer that meets the criteria of impossible. Their job is to untangle the mystery, find the killer and arrest him or her. But how do you arrest a killer that doesn’t exist?

Whether or not you enjoy RPG books, this is definitely a book to read. The author uses language exceptionally well. His characters are believable and interesting. They bring a lot of fun to the conversation and help make the book fun and suspenseful. The ending is incredible!

Having played D&D in my younger years I got a kick out of the story. It brought back memories of fun-filled rainy days and evenings with friends and snacks.

[Shana Congrove · Rating 5 out of 5]

I listened to the audiobook, which was brilliantly narrated and enjoyed the story immensely. I've become a big fan of Timothy Bryan's works, and this one diffinitely did not disappoint. I found myself engrossed into the story from beginning to end. And wow... the ending blew me away. If you're a fan of mystery, action, supernatural creatures, horror, and great storytelling, this is the one for you! 👏

[Myra Gabor · Rating 5 out of 5]

Never read a book quite like it. Terry figured out how to get his revenge for all the slights he suffered, both real and imagined. It took a determined detective to figure out it was him and how to stop him. Or did she? It's well plotted and the people are well presented. Of course, I would have taken it that one step further. On the other hand, I probably wouldn't have been able to figure it out in the first place.

[Louise · Rating 2 out of 5]

The story is very descriptive, but difficult to get into. The first few chapters seem to introduce a new character, and it takes time to realise - without the blurb - who the main characters are. It feels like I'm missing something.


I received a free copy and am leaving a review voluntarily.
Thank you to Hidden Gems Books and author.

[Georgia Tumbleweed McNabb · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have read some RPG stories before listening to this Audible book, with that as background wanted to hear this story. Unlike previous RPG stories, this was different in its own unique way.
The way the author wrote the characters left the reader with a clear mental picture of the various characters and the Entire story was well executed. Narrator does a Great job with Voices and Storyline.

[Katherine · Rating 2 out of 5]

Couldn't get into the characters. Felt fairly predictable too.